


Wager

by Telynx



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Bets & Wagers, Character Development, F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Making Out, Mutual Pining, Slow Build, Slow Romance, Sneaking Around, Some Plot, Tetra is 19 and Link is 18-19 in this, Touching
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-05-28 19:22:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19400743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Telynx/pseuds/Telynx
Summary: Shore Leave: the crew looked forward to it everytime. However, Link and Tetra are inexperienced, held back by insecurities, so they decide to practice with each other for the next leave.And then The Wager is made.Things only get more interesting from that point on.





	1. Deal

**Author's Note:**

> Notes:  
> Aged up: Tetra is 19, Link is 18-19.  
> First post: forgive me.  
> Tags to be added with updates. Things get exciting.  
> Heavy on character dev/interaction.  
> Explicit for later chapters.

The crew never needed an excuse to drink, but Tetra's birthday seemed as good a time as any to do so; it wasn’t everyday that their captain turned nineteen. 

It was Niko who suggested finding the closest village island to spend the day, and Senza who seconded the motion. Link, cautiously, mentioned that they were not far from a certain island, one he knew she wouldn’t turn down. Tetra rolled her eyes, but took a moment to consider her decision to book off a day of travel to their next treasure destination. To be fair, it had been a few months since her crew enjoyed a day off on land, and so Tetra directed Link to point the wind southeast and Gonzo to guide the ship to Hateno Island.

Hateno Island was a bustling trade town: a revolving cast of colourful seafarers and merchants alike venturing to buy, sell, trade; a shop or stand for any imaginable commodity; taverns, street food stands, coffee bars open until late and always packed; musicians and entertainers performing their craft for everyone to see. To say that this was the crew’s favourite island to spend their leave was an understatement.

After the ship was docked and the crew disembarked, they made a unanimous plan to meet up at the Hateno Tavern by sundown. Tetra gave her usual speech before the men ran off - ‘Don’t go acting like idiots, we can’t afford to replace windows or monuments this time. Niko, that goes _double_ for you!’ - and looked next to her to find that Link was in no rush to follow them. He looked ready to say something; Tetra knew to let him gather his thoughts and words, due to how his speech was often stoppered, and waited patiently.

‘I thought m-maybe we could go l-look around the centre together,’ he said. ‘Seems kind of s-s-silly to leave you on your b-birthday, you know?’ He offered his arm to her with exaggerated flare.

Tetra was pretty touched by this, though she wasn’t about to admit that, and took his arm with a smirk. ‘Lead the way.’

The island centre, as usual, did not disappoint. The streets were filled with people looking for new wares, there was a trio performing a familiar arrangement for the passersby, everything was just _interesting_. What made it particularly interesting to Link and Tetra specifically was their mutual joy of people watching; they would act out conversations and make up scenarios for all the random people they saw, usually ending with one of them breaking into a laughing fit. This ‘activity’ was also accompanied with a snack and a drink from the nearby food stands. Both of them were soon covered in tears from laughing, and Tetra honestly couldn’t think of a better way to spend the day.

Soon enough, evening came and the group met up at the tavern. In no time at all, they were the main cause of the din within the building. Again, there was no need for an excuse for the crew to drink. The group didn’t stay together long, either; Gonzo starting singing some rather lewd shanties with Zuko and Mako joining in unabashedly, Niko was somehow competently talking up a lady at the bar on another bet, Nudge and Senza seemed to have found some gentlemen at a nearby table. Tetra and Link watched in a mix of second hand embarrassment and awe as the men all made fools of themselves so easily.

‘I doubt most of them are coming back to the ship tonight,’ Tetra said with a sigh. ‘They’ll either be in another bed or in a jail cell. I’ll think about bailing them out tomorrow.’ She turned to Link. ‘I’m ready to turn in, you?’

‘Yuh-yeah, I don’t think I can handle much more of… this,’ he cringed. He took out a good handful of rupees and left them on the table - food and drink plus tip plus trouble. He was ticked that Niko just lost him twenty rupees, but he made the bet after all. They silently slipped out of the building together, being careful not to look at the loud men on their way out, and walked back to the ship. Once they boarded, Tetra turned to say her goodnight to Link only to notice he had taken a small, carefully wrapped package out of his bag.

Oh, was it…?

‘I uh… Th-this is for you,’ Link nervously managed. ‘Y-you know… f-for your b-b-birthday.’

Tetra had a hard time accepting gifts, even if it _was_ for her birthday. She was hesitant, but decided to take it with a mumbled ‘Thank you.’ When she opened it, though, she was pleasantly surprised to find it was a framed pictograph Link took of them and the crew. All smiling, some laughing, even Link’s face in the lower left hand corner attempting to include everyone. She remembered that day fondly, and found herself at a loss for words. How meaningful, how heartfelt…

After a pause, she finally found her voice and looked up at Link with a smile and a full heart. ‘This… This means a lot to me. Thank you, Link.’ 

Link smiled shyly. ‘I’m glad.’

They shared a silence together, hearing only the ocean and the distant nightlife on the island. After a while, Link cleared his throat.

'That's not your WHOLE p-present, though.' Link pulled out a bottle of spiced rum that Tetra instantly recognized would have cost a fortune.

'Link! Is that-?'

'Your f-favourite, yes,' he said. 'I saw it while we w-w-were in the centre today, w-when I was grabbing food. There was only wuh-one left, and I had to get it.'

‘This…! Wow, thank you!’ Tetra exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around him. He blushed at the reaction, he wasn’t really expecting it. Before he could do anything to respond, Tetra let him go. ‘Well, we’ve _got_ to drink this, come on!’ She motioned to her cabin and the pair left the deck.

Link knew it was a rare occasion to be invited into Tetra’s cabin; it really only happened if she needed help with charts or to reprimand someone. This situation, it was neither of those things. This was a whole new scenario. Tetra opened the door and stepped in, but Link still felt like the very motion of stepping in was forbidden.

‘I gave you an invitation, if you recall the last thirty seconds,’ Tetra said with a wry smile. ‘The floor isn’t lava!’

He finally, gingerly, stepped in and stiffly walked over to her desk chair to sit. Watched as Tetra found a place to display her new framed pictograph, made her way to sit on her bed to be opposite Link, uncorked the rum bottle and raised it in cheers.

‘To you, for finding and sharing this drink with me!’ Tetra took a swig from the bottle itself. Link wasn’t surprised by the action, she could easily drink anything, but… sharing? Was she intending that they drink the whole thing tonight? Tetra offered him the bottle. ‘Go on, your turn!’

Link’s hand trembled slightly has he took the offered rum. He wasn’t against drinking himself, he just felt the situation was… weird? He couldn’t understand why, but his heart pounded in his chest. He did his best to control his breathing and shaking.

‘Oh, uhm... ‘ Tetra noticed his reaction. ‘If you don’t want to tonight, we can always drink it another time.’

Link shook his head. ‘N-no, I’m just nnn-... not used t-to being…’ His free hand gestured stiffly. ‘... here… freely.’

Guilt registered on Tetra’s face. ‘Well… fair enough. I’m sorry to have made you nervous. Please believe me, I’m happy to have you…’ She mimicked his gesture. ‘... here.’

Link laughed, and both were put at ease. He held the bottle up in cheers as well. ‘To you, then, for your w-welcome.’

Half a bottle later, the two found themselves regaling and laughing about old stories, particularly about how the crew had Niko try to impress a girl at their last shore leave.

'I still can't believe Niko went through with that stupid bet.' Tetra wiped away a few tears as she tried to compose herself.

'Yeah, well, when th-there's money at stake,' Link said between gasps for air. 'I l-lost fifty rupees, but I think h-he still s-suh-sends letters to her. She m-must not have been t-too embarrassed.'

'Amazing,' Tetra breathed. She took another drink from the rum bottle. 'Why did you never go along with those bets?'

Link was taken aback by the sudden seriousness. 'Wh-wh-what do you m-mean?'

'Going up to a girl while we're on shore leave and attempting to seduce her,' Tetra answered with a smirk. 'Seriously, you could go anywhere and have your pick! I've seen some girls give you eyes.'

Link scoffed. 'Y-yeah, right. Until I open m-my mouth...' Sure, he had to admit that years of working on the ship had earned him muscle, and he had seen the way some girls looked at him. But his words always found a way to stumble, especially when he was nervous, and their looks would change to surprise, disappointment, or pity. 'Wh-when they hear m-m-me talk, I'm n-not so attractive anymore...'

'Don't sell yourself short,' Tetra assured, passing the rum to him.

'Heh, easy f-for you to say.' Link felt weird that she would even bring this up, and took a swig himself to say what he wanted to. 'What about you? You could f-find someone yourself.'

Tetra looked down and sighed. 'Because I intimidate people. Too tough, too loud, too bossy.' She laughed a bit. 'I must be such a handful sometimes...'

Link looked at Tetra even if she wasn't looking at him. 'You're n-not a handful. Sure, you're a leader and you run a tight ship, b-but you're funny, c-caring, smart... and if p-people can't see that, then m-maybe they aren't worth your time.'

Tetra finally looked back, and smiled. 'Thank you, Link... I really appreciate it.' She took the rum as Link offered it to her and took another drink. 'And, for what it's worth, your words aren't all of you. You're kind, resourceful, and easy to talk to. So the same can be said for anyone who won't give you a shot!'

'S-Stop, you're saying too m-much!' Link blushed, but managed to still keep eye contact. They looked at each other for another moment, and then looked away.

They were both silent for a minute. Tetra took one more drink of rum before setting the nearly empty bottle on her desk.

'We're pretty inexperienced in finding people on shore leave in any case,' she finally said. She looked at Link slyly. 'Have you ever kissed anyone before?'

Link reddened immediately. 'Wh-wh-where is th-this c-c-coming from!?'

'It's okay, I haven't either,' Tetra answered for both of them. 'To be honest, I'm a little nervous at the thought.'

Link didn't say anything, stunned at the topic change. Why she was suddenly bringing all this up, he didn't know. It made his stomach tie up, his breath short, his hands shake. 

'What if...' Tetra started, and paused for a second. 'What if you and I... we practiced? For our next shore leave?'

Link couldn't go any redder if he tried. 'Y-y-you m-muh-mmmean... ah...' He was too embarrassed to finish. Usually he didn't like people finishing his sentences or interrupting him, but he motioned that Tetra could fill in the blanks. Half because he would keep stumbling, and half because he didn't know exactly what Tetra wanted.

'I want to practicing kissing at least,' she said, slightly too quickly. She was also turning several shades deeper. 'That is, if you're okay with that.'

Of course Link had thought about it, kissing… kissing Tetra - more than he would like to admit. He wondered if they could even think straight. Catching a look at the rum bottle, he saw that only a quarter the drink remained. Would it be wrong to do this? Was he thinking too much?

'I promise that it's not the rum, if that's your concern,' Tetra assured, still red herself. 'But I won't pressure you if you don't want to.'

Link made up his mind, thought of his answer in his head to loosen his knotted words, exhaled. 'I w-want t-to do it. I want to practice.'

'Okay then. Uhm...' Tetra shifted slightly on her bed, and motioned for Link to sit beside her. He wasn't sure how his legs didn't fail him, but they got him up from the chair and onto the bed. She must have noticed his shaking, he figured, as she took one of his hands into her own. 'Are you sure you're okay?'

Link exhaled again and nodded. 'I am. P-promise.' Tetra bit her lip, Link noticed. She was just as nervous as he was. ‘Yuh-you’re okay too?’

‘Yes. I’m good.’ She squeezed his hand.

A little more assured, though still shaking, he closed his eyes, leaned forward. Their lips met, stiffly. A moment later, Tetra started to laugh, breaking them apart.

'Sorry! We're just so... so...!' She was laughing too hard to finish, leaving Link thoroughly confused. Calmed, she began again. 'We're so tense.'

'Wuh-well, yes...' Link felt like he was missing something.

'Sorry, let's try again,' Tetra composed herself as much as she could. 'I promise I'll be good.'

This time, Link started to laugh. He couldn't explain why, it just seemed right. When he calmed down as well, he felt more confident. His shaking ceased. Tetra wasn't biting her lip anymore. 

They were ready.

They leaned in again. When their lips met this time, they fit together. So well, neither of them want to break apart. Tetra’s arms slid around Link's neck to keep him from moving. His own hands found their way onto her back. She made a soft noise in encouragement, refitting their mouths again and again.

Link felt himself being pulled down, Tetra leaning back onto her bed with her arms still around him, their kiss still unbroken. Keeping one arm curled around her, he moved his other hand to cup her face, sinking deeper. Heat filled his chest as he felt Tetra’s hands move, one moving down to the small of his back. He shuddered, moaned low at the touch, and felt Tetra smile against his mouth while she continued. Link responded in kind, licking against her lips until her tongue met his, heat rising. 

But Tetra stopped. Link broke away, opened his eyes and saw hers were still closed. She didn't stir when he said her name, but at least she was still breathing. She had fallen asleep.

Link had never been in this situation before, but he knew this was his queue to go to his own bed. He was so lightheaded from this night. In fact, his head spun so much, too much for him to steady himself. When he stood, he fell right back down on the bed. Before he could panic about how he was going to get himself out of his captain's cabin, his vision faded to black.

* * *

Pounding. Link's head was pounding. He could already feel the light burning his eyes and he hadn't even opened them completely. How could he have drank so much? What could have possessed him to-

Last night came flooding back and his eyes shot open. 

He was still in Tetra's cabin. Embarrassment started to flood him. And when he noticed that Tetra was gone, panic entered the fray and sobered him slightly. _Stupid, stupid! Angry she must be so angry. Trouble I’m in trouble so much trouble!_ His head spat curses while trying to get up, trying to remain steady, and ran out to find Tetra.

The ship was quiet, still docked, still not populated. The sun indicated that the morning was still young. Link’s stomach was dropping faster and faster realizing that Tetra could be anywhere by this point. Before he could reach panic overload, he caught her on the deck. She looked… content? A thick mixture of emotion, one part relief to three parts worry, Link carefully approached her.

‘Uh-uhm! M-mmmm… H-hey,’ he started but quickly decided to stop. Tetra looked right at him; she still didn’t look angry or upset, just tired. She surprised him with a smile.

‘Hello to you, too. Sleep well? You look awful,’ she croaked. ‘No one came back last night, so we’ll need to go pick them up from their cells or whatever. We can’t wait too long to ship out today.’

She was… so nonchalant. Did she not remember what happened? Guilt was added to Link’s growing emotion pile.

‘Ye-yeah, th-that… D-do you ruh-re-remember anything? F-from last night?’

Tetra eyed him, then smirked. ‘I do. Don’t worry, everything’s fine. I do feel a little bad that I clocked out too soon.’ Link exhaled completely, relieved and ready to disappear off the face of the world.

‘In fact!’ Tetra winked, confusing Link even further. 'I was thinking: why don't we make this a little more interesting?'

He stared at her. '... Wuh... what could p-p- _possibly_ not be _interesting_ about this!?'

Laughing, she continued. 'I meant to make it more of a wager while still practicing.' She raised her eyebrows. 'If you think you're up for it.'

Well, Link supposed that was one way to make the situation more absurd. 'I'm listening.'

‘What if we did what we did last night without getting caught?’ Tetra proposed. ‘We’d have six potential witnesses. Each time we practice without anyone catching us, we go up by twenty rupees. The loser has to pay up if we get caught.’

Link couldn’t believe what he was hearing. She… still wanted to practice? Now making it a game? He had to admit, most of him was intrigued and pretty excited. ‘H-how is the loser decided?’

‘I initiated last night. You initiate the next time, and then I’ll initiate again. Whoever the initiator is if we get caught is the loser,’ said Tetra, a little too… rehearsed? When did she come up with this? ‘So? What do you say?’

She held out her hand. Slightly skeptical, but too piqued to refuse, Link decided, held out his hand to shake hers.

‘Deal.’


	2. Ante Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wager is underway.  
> Rules:  
> Take turns to initiate  
> Twenty rupees per round completed  
> Loser is the one who initiated if they get caught  
> Backing out is allowed, payout negotiable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still new at this, hope it's okay.  
> Going back to work on Tuesday; updates will be affected, undoubtedly.  
> Next chapter is when Explicit starts oh no.  
> Thank.

It had been a week since Tetra’s birthday and the wager that she and Link had made. And although it was his turn to initiate, the whole ‘six potential witnesses’ thing was quite the hindrance. But that was one of the rules: find a way to initiate without getting caught.

The pirates already gave Link a hard time regarding Tetra, jabs and jeers with their only purpose to embarrass him. He knew it was mostly in jest, but it still made him flustered, especially in Gonzo’s peripheral when the pirates teased him. Tetra was well respected and Gonzo was very protective of her, and Link always felt he was one sentence away from his wrath. He knew it wasn’t true, but he had a theory that an ulterior motive for the ribbing was to goad Gonzo to deck him.

For the time being, it did not matter; the crew was getting ready to explore the previously uncharted seas before them and all had work to do. There was no time for joking or instigating injuries.

The ship was reinforced and supplies were accounted for, luckily. There was just the matter of plotting their course. Tetra and Mako reviewed where the wanted to go and confirmed sights ahead with Zuko, but it reached a stalemate when there was an islet ahead that was not on Tetra’s chart. Hearing the discussion, Link looked over curiously.

‘Land…’ Zuko pointed. ‘There… Northeast…’

‘But that doesn’t make any sense.’ Mako scoured the chart top to bottom. ‘Miss, do you think we could be missing something?’

Tetra became frustrated with herself over her chart - hard to watch unable to help, Link noted. ‘I swore this was correct. I need to review my mother’s maps again.’ Link did not realize how long he had been paying attention

_to her_

to the conversation, so he was caught by surprise when she looked up and met his eye. ‘Link, could you go grab the charts in the cargo hold?’

He composed himself quickly and nodded. Down in the hold he passed crates and barrels, all haphazardly placed, until he got to the far end. The chest full of charts was easily found, and as he grabbed the chest and turned around, he stopped to look at his surroundings. It was dark and slightly crowded, but he realized he was alone. No one was watching, just what he needed.

Link set the chest back down, and climbed the ladder above deck.

‘I c-c-can’t f-find them.’ Link’s heart raced and he hoped his words would not give him away. He knew that they stumbled more when he was under pressure.

_Bad idea don’t talk._

‘They shouldn’t be that hard to find, are you serious?’ Tetra asked, barely hiding the annoyance in her voice. Link shrugged, and she let out an exasperated sigh. ‘You are so dense sometimes, you know that? Fine, I’ll look. But if I find them, I’m docking your pay.’

Link led the way back down into the hold, becoming increasingly nervous in the process. Tetra was already frustrated, and when she saw the chest at the other end of the hold, the look on her face, a mixture of confusion and anger, cemented the uncertainty in his mind. His heart raced too quickly and his hands shook.

_Bad idea bad idea._

But there was no going back now. He swallowed, and took the plunge.

‘Alright, you're telling me you didn't see-’ Tetra was cut off when Link’s mouth crashed into hers. He expected some sort of repercussion, but was relieved as he felt her soften, hands resting on his chest. His own hands moved to her back to pull her closer. What a feeling, as their lips fit together again, the same heat rising in his chest. Tetra broke them apart pulled the front of his shirt toward her as she backed up to sit on one of the many crates; they were eye to eye, face to face, and as she pulled him back in, mouth to mouth again.

_Never mind great idea._

‘You know,’ Tetra broke so briefly, still keeping their faces together, ‘you had me going for a second.’

‘Of course I f-found them,’ Link replied quickly. ‘Just n-needed you here.’

Tetra laughed lightly. ‘Not bad.’ She brought them together again, moving her arms around his neck as he placed his on her waist. She licked into his mouth, and it was a wonder that his legs were still holding him up. His chest was glowing hot, his head swam; how was she able to do this to him so easily? 

‘Hoy, miss, you find those charts?’

The pair jolted at the Mako’s call from the deck. How long had they been down in the hold? A minute? An hour? Too long, most likely.

Tetra recomposed herself easily. ‘Yes, we found them! Link will haul them up in a minute!’ she called back. She walked - so casually! - to the ladder, and looked back at Link. ‘You going to be okay there, buddy?’

Link was too stunned to comprehend what was going on for a second, but steadied himself at the captain’s question. ‘Uh. Yuh-yeah. Let m-me just grab the ch-charts.’ 

‘Okay, don’t take too long, I need those.’ Tetra winked and disappeared back up to the deck.

Link grabbed the chest of charts and sighed. He finally got his first round out of the way, and it went way better than expected. Nothing to do for now but wait.

_Best idea._

* * *

Tetra stood by the helm, taking in the ocean - calm and promising - and the sun at its highest. She looked around at her ship, how well kept she was, how hard her men had worked to keep her in shape. The deck only held two of those men at the moment; Gonzo was beside her at the helm guiding the ship toward their next destination, and Link was making a quick repair to the starboard railing. The rest of the men were in the galley taking a much deserved lunch.

Tetra’s attention now was solely on watching Link work. It wasn’t terribly obvious all those years ago when he first joined the crew, but he was a formidable carpenter; he could mend anything to last while they were at sea, and could easily make repairs the ship needed while they were ashore. Maybe he was just destined to be someone who wielded sharp metal, interchanging swords and saws at a moment’s notice. 

Speaking of notice, Tetra definitely noticed how Link - this once short, scrawny kid - had filled out, had shaped into quite a, frankly, nice looking young man. She also noticed it had been a couple of days since their last… encounter. It was her turn to start the next round, and her heart began to pound at that realization. She worried her lip as she wondered how to get them alone; could she really get Gonzo to go join the other crew members without being suspected of exactly what she was going to do? She figured he might still be up here for that reason...

_May as well try._

‘Aren’t you hungry at all, Gonzo?’ she asked. ‘Everyone else is on break, you ought to be as well.’

‘You sure, Miss? We’ll probably be down a good amount of time to our destination, yeah?’ Gonzo brought up a good point. ‘We already had that mix up with the charts.’

‘Don’t remind me,’ Tetra mumbled. She was still kicking herself over her misinterpretation. ‘But it’s okay. Treasure’s great, but a healthy crew to help collect that treasure is better.’

‘Well, if you’re okay with dropping anchor, Miss,’ Gonzo complied, went to set the ship still in the water. ‘What about the kid, though? He should probably have some food if you want a healthy crew, yeah?’

‘Yeah, I just want to check his work is all,’ Tetra said, doing her best to remain aloof. ‘And he’s not a kid anymore, stop that.’ - She had to remind Gonzo too often of this. - ‘We’ll meet you there, don’t you worry.’ Gonzo nodded at his captain, walked to the door to meet with the rest of the men, but Tetra wasn’t oblivious to the look he gave Link on his way over. She walked to where Link was working and was greeted with a smile.

‘Hey, I w-was just f-finishing up,’ he said as he motioned to his handy work - the temporary but strong mend to the railing. ‘I’ll do a p-p-proper fix when we ruh-reach the island.’

Tetra remained silent for a minute, her lip between her teeth, her eyes the ocean. She could feel her heart in her throat. She looked back at Link, and

_his mouth_

his smile was fading. ‘Everything o-okay? I can redo it, if you n-nnneed me to.’

Tetra couldn’t hear his words. She just kept staring at

_his mouth_

him without a word. His face, a little confused and maybe hurt, it hurt her, too. Her fault that he felt that hurt. Would this work?

Tetra reached out to Link’s face, confusion replaced with realization and the hurt gone, brought it to her own and kissed him. His arms immediately wrapped around her, and she knew that he was okay, smiling against his mouth. She breathed in deeply and moved her own hands down his back. Salt, sweat, lye - familiar, comforting, somehow intoxicating to her. She remembered their event in her cabin, them together, and slid her hands under his shirt, snaked her fingers along the small of his back. He replied with a small shudder, a groan into her mouth; goodness, what a response! 

She learned that two could play at that game as she felt Link’s hands move to under her shirt, onto her waist. A sigh escaped her lips in a brief parting, brought them back together, her heart aglow as his hands moved further up-

They both heard the nearby murmur at the same time and immediately broke apart, both transfixed at the door. It was closed, thank goodness, but soon opened and revealed Gonzo.

‘I thought you and the kid were comin’ down, yeah?’ He looked annoyed, but otherwise unaware. ‘What, did the rail fall apart?’

Link huffed, motioned to his handy work once again. ‘Of course it d-d-didn’t, it’s great,’ he retorted. Tetra shot a look at Gonzo, the one that she gave too often to him, saying to leave Link alone. He got the message, and held the door open for them.

‘Alright then, let’s go,’ he said. ‘No need to keep waiting, yeah?’

Link moved forward, looked at Tetra, and gave her a sly smile. Tetra raised her eyebrows in return, walking with him to the door now that they had worked up an appetite.

_Your move._

* * *

The sun was setting and today’s work had been done. Link had spent the day doing maintenance checks on the ship and helping the other crew where he could. He was proud to say that his mend to the railing was holding up very well - _Take that, Gonzo!_ \- over the last couple of days.

He remembered the day he made the small repair; that’s why he was standing next to Tetra’s cabin door. Most of the crew had turned in already, and soon Tetra would as well. While he knew that he this would be his plan all day, it didn’t make him any less nervous. He closed his eyes, taking slow breaths, fidgeting with his lanyards and small tools, doing anything to make the pounding in his ears stop or at least slow down.

And then the door opened; there was Tetra coming in at last. She looked up and her eyes met up with Link’s, and she smiled. Oh, that smile that could make him want to do anything for her.

‘Lovely evening outside. Is there anything you need?’ Tetra asked as she stood next to him by the door.

_Need you her need her._

Link didn’t bother saying anything; he knew his words wouldn’t work at this point anyway. Instead, knowing that no one was around them, he leaned in and kissed Tetra’s cheek. She laughed quietly, and he moved to her lips. He didn’t stay there long, he held her as he moved to her cheek again, her jaw, moved her scarf down to get to her neck. She sighed when he reached it, the most beautiful noise he’d heard from her. She clung to him, quietly giving her approval and encouragement. He moved back up to kiss her mouth, ghosting fingers on her neck where he had reached. Tetra gasped at the motion, brought her right hand back to hold his left, the one tracing her neck. How odd but nice, that they had kissed each other three times but had never held hands once until now. Link moved his hand to lace his fingers with hers.

There was a noise outside by the door. Reluctantly, Link parted from Tetra and saw that she was flushed, rendered speechless. Leaning in, he quickly whispered, ‘Your turn,’ and disappeared downstairs before the door from the deck opened.

Tetra didn’t know how long she stood outside her cabin, so still, so…

‘Miss, is everything alright? You can turn in, you know.’ Nudge was the owner of the noise and the reason the door opened, the reason that she and Link were no longer-

‘Yes, everything’s quite alright. Good night,’ she mumbled as she quickly entered her cabin and shut the door. She leaned against it, trying to steady her breath, to take in what just happened. She removed her scarf, traced where Link had kissed her… 

Tetra was filled with more than just a want to win their wager; she felt something… primal. She felt hot everywhere, not just her chest. She wanted to render Link speechless, powerless against her.

The ante had been upped, and Tetra was ready to respond in kind.


	3. Raise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Tetra are both filled with determination to up each other for 'practice' and rupees, and absolutely nothing else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> E rating time.  
> This took too long because of work and also because writing smut makes me sneeze

****The first thing Tetra did the next day was apologize to Nudge for her curt behaviour; she was, of course, forgiven.

The next thing Tetra did was work her plot around the crew’s current objective: treasure hunting.

Luckily, their unplanned anchor didn’t hold them back too far from their destination. About a week away, with the chart finalized and checked over several times, the preparations were nearing completion. 

Link and Niko were in the hold for their work; Niko was taking inventory while Link wanted to get a head start on parts for the railing repair when they reached the island. His work bench was set up in the hold, for which he was grateful for as Niko had to do a lot of busy work there as well; the two had always gotten along like peas and carrots and were fond of each other’s company during their work. 

‘What do you reckon we’re going to dig up this time?’ Niko eventually asked while checking crates for supplies.

‘N-not sure,’ Link admitted, marking measurements on his work. ‘B-but the ch-chart’s ancient, so it cuh- it can only be v-valuable, right?’

‘Oh yeah, probably,’ Niko said. ‘Imagine if whoever made that map just had a sick sense of humour, though. We get there, find and dig up a chest, and there’s just a bunch of rocks or something, you know?’

Link gave a laugh. ‘Wow, th-that’d be… wuh-well, that’d be t-t-terrible.’

‘Of course it would, but just imagine!’ Niko stopped recording to continue his awful scenario. ‘Imagine the looks on everyone’s faces!’

‘Imagine what looks, Niko?’

Link instinctively stood up from his bench. The men looked up to the entrance, where Tetra was standing. No one was imagining anything anymore.

Well, not true. Link had been looking at Tetra in a different light as of late; he always noticed her face, her eyes, her lips first, especially if she was biting the lower; noticed her body next, the curves he never really paid attention to as much before. In this moment, he imagined her hands, her body against him; imagined her neck, the noise she had made when they had last encountered…

‘Well?’ 

_Oh, right._ Link averted his eyes back to the person being questioned.

‘Uhh… Absolutely nothing?’ Niko could never lie his way out of a paper bag.

‘Okay, if you’re going to be silly, go do it abovedecks,’ Tetra instructed. ‘Senza and Nudge could use an extra set of hands. You can come back here and continue inventory after.’

‘Oh, aye aye, Miss,’ Niko complied, still nervous about what he had been talking about. Tetra had small patience for his tomfoolery.

Link watched Niko as he disappeared from the hold, while he also watched Tetra as she came closer. There was something in her eyes, Link noticed; something that sent a shot of heat through his body.

_Oh! Right!_

Without a word, she pushed him back onto his bench, sat herself on his legs, kissed him hard. He only responded too happily, hands immediately on her back to keep her there, on him. Her own hands moved from his face and her arms circled around his neck.

Then he felt it. Tetra was closer somehow, especially on his lap where he felt her grind once. Link shuddered, was unable to stop the moan at the back of his throat. Tetra smiled against his lips, shifted her hips forward again and Link replied again. His head was light as he felt all the heat leave his face, traveling lower...

Tetra stopped suddenly, but Link already knew why.

‘A-ah, I’m s-s-sorry, it’s juh-just…’ he stammered, his cheeks burned; he was probably making it worse. ‘I-it’s just… y-yuh-you’re on tuh-top of m-mmme a-and…’

‘What can we do about it?’ Tetra asked; that look was in her eyes again. 

Link couldn’t get any words out. He eyes shut and his mouth worked, but nothing.

‘Ah, forget I said anything, if it makes you uncomfortable.’ Link looked at Tetra, her face guilt ridden and red and turned away from him. He exhaled, and tried again. 

‘I’m.. I w-was worried y- _you_ would be.’ He reached for her hand, and she finally looked back at him. ‘You, uhm... suh-surpised me.’

Tetra shifted a bit on top of him, the friction nearly causing him to lose what little composure he already had. Her expression softened a little, she chewed her lip for a moment.

‘Can… Could you…’ Tetra tried to find her own words. She seemed so fragile like this; Link held her closer, wanting her to feel safe, wanting her… ‘This is… practice after all, right? Could you… show me what to do?’

What a question. Link’s jaw dropped, but Tetra was too busy avoiding his gaze to acknowledge it. Link inhaled, exhaled again.

‘A-are you sh-sure?’ Link asked. 

Tetra looked back at him, nodded. ‘Yes, promise.’

She never did break a promise, nor lie to him. Dizzy, hot, Link reached down. His hands nervously trembled as he hooked his thumbs under the waist of his pants. Tetra gave way as he lifted his hips, as he lowered this garments and then freed himself from his shorts. There was definitely no blood left in his head, slightly reeling. 

Tetra didn’t break eye contact, staring into his eyes. He felt as she searched for his hand.

‘You… You have to show me…’

Link nodded. Slowly, he guided her willing hand to him, wrapped her fingers around him. He searched her face for any uncertainty, but he couldn’t find it. She leaned her face to his and kissed him again. As she moved, her thumb grazed the underside of him, causing him to break the kiss as he threw his head back, moaned at the touch. Tetra must have noticed what she did to cause his reaction, because he felt her do it again, more deliberate. 

‘Uhm, I’m guessing that’s okay?’ Tetra whispered. Link nodded, his hand still on hers, hers still on him. ‘What… is there anything else I should do?’

Link was still in awe that this was happening at all, it took him a hot second to remember he needed to talk. ‘A… A luh-little tighter…’ he managed, and moved her hand along the length of him. ‘Uh-uhm, l-luh-like this- _ah._ ’ As he guided her to the tip, he absolutely could not finish, no power left to think; he belonged to Tetra in this current moment, it was all he could think about.

He was used to a rougher hand when he did this himself, and while Tetra’s hand still had the same hardness from her years of sailing and working, there was still something softer about it, gentle with him. He left her hand to continue has he moved both of his under her shirt and onto her bare back. Tetra’s face leaned down onto him, cheek to cheek, hummed once contently next to his ear. He, on the other hand, was trying not to curse in pleasure, trying to remain as quiet as he could in case anyone were to find them. He moved his head to meet her lips, wishing she could go tighter, faster…

Tetra let go suddenly, and leapt off Link’s lap as she cursed herself. Link, though still dizzy-stupid from the recent event, instinctively pulled his pants back up and hid himself behind his work table. As he sat back on his bench, Tetra was already sitting on a crate casually, and Niko appeared as he descended the stairs.

‘Okay, everything abovedecks is taken care of. You still need me to do inventory, Miss?’ Niko seemed oblivious, meaning he unknowingly bought the two another round.

‘Yeah, if you could, please,’ Tetra kindly instructed as she hopped off the crate. ‘I want to make sure we’re prepared for this hunt. I’m hoping we don’t need to detour.’

‘Aye aye,’ Niko agreed. Tetra looked back at Link, who was still trying to comprehend what had just happened and what was going on now, and winked as she went back up the stairs.

He rubbed his face and closed his eyes, trying to breathe quietly. At the same time, he realized how far this was going… Should he… What was he supposed to do next?

‘Yeah, same here, swabbie,’ Niko sighed as he watched Link worry his face. ‘Big work before the treasure hunt is always the worst.’

_Oh… right…_

Link looked up, composing what little of himself that he could. ‘Y-yeah, it’s… something.’

* * *

A few more days and the crew would be at their current destination.

Tetra had been mulling over other charts to see if any other birds could be shot with one stone. Or, moreso scanning the same few quadrants for the whole afternoon. Everytime she tried to concentrate, other thoughts would enter her mind; thoughts involving recent events, thoughts involving Link, thoughts of _wouldn’t it be nice if he was here right now to-_

She needed a break; she needed air. Stepping out of her cabin and onto the deck, Tetra finally took a moment, closed her eyes, took a breath.

The sky indicated that sundown was several hours ago, though the lack of a moon may be making the night seem later. Tetra had lost all sense of time from this day. Looking up, she caught a glimpse of the stars, and then saw him up in the crow’s nest: Link. He didn’t seem to have noticed her yet, he was lost in his own star gazing thoughts. 

Tetra’s heart pounded, and she worried her lip as she pondered her next actions. The deck was vacant as the crew was asleep; only she and Link were out. And it was his turn to start their next round. She knew that she couldn’t start it, but maybe… just maybe…

She walked to the mast and advanced up the ladder to the perch.

Link didn’t look back when she reached the top, so Tetra had to walk up to him to get his attention. 

‘A little late for you, isn’t it?’ she teased, and her voice jostled Link out of whatever trance he had been in.

‘A l-little, I guess.’ He moved to invite her beside him. ‘I huh-heard that w-was a new m-moon out and wanted to see w-wuh-what happened t-to the old one.’

Tetra burst out laughing. ‘That was stupid, come on!’

‘H-hey, you’re the one who l-luh-laughed,’ Link said, smiling a little too proud at himself, watching her try to compose herself after what was possibly the stupidest joke he ever said. ‘Wh-what are you d-doing out, then?’

Tetra took a breath, calmed. ‘I just… needed some air.’

‘Mm. Puh-plenty out here.’

Tetra laughed a bit softer this time. After a moment, they were both silent, gazing up at the sky together.

Though, after another moment, her gaze changed to look at Link. She watched the way he stared at the horizon, smiled to himself, watched his breathing. This peaceful moment, shared between the two of them, it seemed more important that these times before, when the two would often be out at night, just looking at the sky or the ocean.

‘You know, it’s been a while since we last did this.’

‘Wh-what do you m-mean?’ Link replied.

‘Just, this.’ Tetra gestured to the sky, inky blue-black and dotted with stars. ‘Looking at this, together.’

Link looked over at her, smiled, nudged his elbow into her arm. ‘I n-never took you for suh-such a softy.’

She laughed again. ‘Don’t tell anyone.’ They broke their gaze away from each other to view the stars again. The sea was peaceful, adding to the tranquility of the moment. Their island destination was in view, still a few days away. So much planning, and so much travelling, more than usual this time. Her crew needed a break; she needed a break. Then, an idea, and one she knew Link would very much like.

‘You know, your birthday’s coming up in a few weeks, yeah?’ Tetra broke the silence. ‘I was thinking: when we’re done with this job, why don’t we go back to your island?’

Link’s eyes widened. ‘Ruh-really? Th-that’s okay?’

‘Of course.’ Even though they were already beside each other, Tetra had subtly inched closer, connecting them shoulder to shoulder. ‘The guys would love the time there, and I’m sure they’d be more than happy to see Aryll and your grandma. They always welcome us. We can send a letter soon, if you’d like.’

For a moment, Link stared at her in disbelief, and then he smiled widely; a smile that made the world around him glow, Tetra thought.

‘Y-ye-yes! Th-thank you so m-much!’ Link may or may not have noticed the closeness, but he wrapped his arms around her anyway. ‘It… It m-mmm-means a lot to me…’

Tetra hugged him back, though she definitely had expected a different response. But she could accept this right now; them being close in this way, uninterrupted. She closed her eyes and took in the moment.

And then Link turn his head and kissed her.

 _Finally._

Tetra eagerly responded, pulling him away from the edge of the perch and putting herself between him and the mast. Link’s leg had positioned itself between hers and she moved her hips to grind on him, wanting the friction between them to spark the warmth she wanted there. In doing so, she moaned low into his mouth. She felt his hand move under her shirt and onto her back, and she arched into his body in response. He moved his hand up slightly, but stopped. Their lips parted too, and Tetra let a small whine escape in spite of herself.

‘Wh-... wha-what sh-should I do?’ he asked. ‘F-... For puh-practice, right?’ Tetra watched as his face reddened, hers burning up as well. She thought about what he let her do those days ago back in the hold, also for ‘practice;’ wouldn’t it only be fair if she taught him a thing or two?

Tetra took hold of his hand already under her shirt, guided it higher to her chest. In reality, she had been uncomfortable with that area, being smaller than most other women she had met or seen. But right now, with Link’s hand there so willingly, her whole body felt more important than anything else.

‘We-... Women… We like to be touched here,’ she sighed. Link nodded, leaned down to kiss Tetra again, his hand sinking into her breast as she voiced her approval. ‘I hope you’re taking notes.’

Link laughed softly and went back to that kiss he was trying to give her. Tetra left his hand on her chest as she, not entirely subtly, lifted the front of his shirt. Their middles met and she shuddered at the touch sending warmth throughout the rest of her… including somewhere lower.

Should she…?

‘We… like being touched other places, too,’ she whispered against his mouth.

‘W-will you sh-sh-show me?’ Link asked, nearly too bold. ‘Uhm… If th-that’s o-o-okay?’

_There he is._

Tetra nodded in assurance. She reached down to position her trousers and shorts lower, and then Tetra took his hand away from her chest and started to guide it down. Link’s hand trembled in her own, and stopped half way.

‘We can stop if you want,’ she assured, hoping to let him know it wasn’t in a way to make him lose their wager and pay up, but was genuine if he was too nervous.

Link shook his head. ‘No. B-but…’ He breathed in and out, and Tetra waited patiently still holding his shaking hand. ‘Y-you’re okay? T-t-to shuh-show me?’

‘Yes,’ she affirmed. She let him breathe a bit first to lessen his shaking, kissed his burning cheek more than once, felt him smile again.

His hand stilled, and she led it down again towards its destination.

She bit her lip in anticipation. She felt his hand reach between her thighs, piloting her hand over his to move his fingers to where she wanted them. That touch, she sighed, shivered, as it set her insides aglow. ‘There, that’s really good,’ she whispered. Link started to move his hand and fingers on his own accord with the small instruction given, almost experimenting with where to touch. His lips met her neck and she nearly lost all sense of quiet. She kept her mouth buried in his shoulder to stifle her want to cry out, his fingers working her open, and as one dipped into her she clung to him, wishing she could let him know, wishing she could tell him, _yes, yes, yes!_

Link withdrew his hand suddenly and turned towards the ladder, hissing a curse. ‘S-suh-someone’s c-coming up!’ Tetra was brought back to reality and hitched her clothes back into their proper places. She remained with her back on the mast while Link sat opposite her. The steps belonged to Zuko, mumbling something about forgetting his telescope; all he did was grab his arrant apparatus, turn around, and leave. 

Tetra sighed in frustration, hardly hiding it. ‘Okay, I’m going to bed. Get some rest, we’ve got work tomorrow.’ 

She looked at Link as she started descending the ladder; he had an annoyed look as well, but he looked at her and smiled slyly. ‘Well, y-your turn. And guh-good night.’

Burning red with determination and pent up emotion, Tetra scrambled down the ladder and nearly ran back into her cabin. Heat still building in her, she contemplated finishing the job herself. She thought about how far they had gotten with each other… for practice, for a bet.

Maybe, she figured, it was time to raise the stakes and see how far they were _really_ willing to go.


End file.
